League 1 fixtures revealed for 2018

The RFL have released the 2018 League 1 fixtures, with Bradford Bulls starting life in the third-tier with a trip to York City Knights.

The Knights finished fourth in the league last term and will be looking to get one over their promotion rivals on Sunday 18 February.

There are another six games in the opening weekend as Oldham travel to Whitehaven, Doncaster welcome Coventry Bears, Keighley Cougars host Workington Town and Hemel Stages face Hunslet.

Wales will host two games as well in the opening weekend, as North Wales Crusaders welcome London Skolars while the West Wales Raiders will face 2017 play-off finalists Newcastle Thunder.

The first Cumbrian derby of the year will take place in Round 5, with Whitehaven hosting Workington Town while North Wales Crusaders will face rivals West Wales Raiders in the same weekend in March.

Newcastle Thunder will continue their annual tradition of hosting a game at home on the Friday night of the Dacia Magic Weekend, when they face Bradford Bulls on Friday 18 May while London Skolars will face Keighley Cougars for the annual Friday Night Lights game, the day before the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup Final in August.

The League 1 competition for 2018 will see fourteen teams play each other home and away, with the League Champions granted automatic promotion to the Championship, with a play-off system involving the teams finishing between second and fifth to determine the second promoted club.

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